Ventilating apparatus for closets or toilets



Sept. 2, 1958 E. N. BOLLINGER ET AL 2,849,727

VENTILATING APPARATUS FOR CLOSETS OR TOILETS Filed April 16, 1956 2Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY) s R O T f m.W I A Wm IWW W, I 4 I T l 1 NJ A mn u H mm 0 9 n 9 $8 R 5 7 5 ul q I r 5 T w 9 P 9 E 5 C 5 p v00000002000000 B 00000002000000 00000002000000 l. 00000000000 00 500000002000000 00000009000000 00000000 000 00000000000000 0000000000000000000000000000 4 I 0000000000 00 5 00000009000000 0000000030000000000000700000 00000000000000 m 5 00000021000000 0 5 5 F Q 5 R 5 ,1 I Vl 2, 1958 E. N. 'BOLLINGER ETAL 2,849,727

VENTILATING APPARATUS FOR CLO-SETS 0R TOILETS Filed April 16. 1956 INVENTORS Bollmger Hauck, Sr.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Edward N. William J.

BY Aw y waf ATTORNEY} Unitct a VENTILATING APPARATUS FOR CLOSETS ORTOILETS Edward N. Bollinger and William J. Hauck, Sr., Erie, Pa.

Application April 16, 1956, Serial No. 578,486

Claims. (Cl. 4-217) This invention relates to the seat and associatedclosure structures of closets or toilets and more particularly toventilating apparatus contained in or associated with such structures.

An important object of the invention is to provide ventilating apparatusof the kind described which requires no alterations in the bowl of thecloset or toilet, nor any alterations in the walls, floor, ceiling, orthe like of the room containing the closet or toilet.

Another important object is to provide ventilating apparatus asdescribed which requires no plumbing skill in installing the apparatuson standard or conventional closets or toilet bowls.

A further important object is to provide ventilating and dcodorizingapparatus for closets and the like, which incorporates a new principleof closet or toilet bowl ventilation by the provision of a curtain ofmoving air which absorbs or draws off objectionable odors and the air isthen deodorized before the air exits from the structures and into theroom.

Additionally. an important object is to provide ventilating apparatusoutlined, comprising ventilating apparatus partly built into the seatand cover and partly closely associated with the seat to provide acompact apparatus which requires but little room for packaging,shipping, storing, and installing as a complete unit.

A further important object is to provide for the exit of deodorized airfrom the back of the raised cover of the apparatus. rather thancxteriorly of the room containing the closet or toilet.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course at the following detailed description of the invention, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thidisclosure. and in which drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan of the ventilating apparatus attached to a bowl,with the seat and cover down.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1 butwith the cover raised.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the seat of the apparatus, with portionsbroken away to better illustrate parts of the construction.

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the cover of the apparatus with parts brokenaway so as to better illustrate elements of the construction, Figs. 3and 4 being on reduced scale.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the apparatus with minor portions brokenaway in order to reveal structure beneath.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a ports-containing plate forming a part of thescar, and illustrating, by the use of arrows, the flow of a curtain ofair across the central opening in the seat.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,the letter A designates a closet or toilet; B, a bowl; and C, thevetttilating apparatus.

The bowl B is of conventional construction, having iii- 3 Vet?" wtilcemar in Patented Sept. 2, 1958 upstanding outer walls defining anupwardly-opening receptacle 10 with an upper rim portirn 11 providedwith a substantially horizontal rim 12 w ich rim portion is continuedrearwardly in a horizontally-disposed securing means-attaching flange13, which may be provided with a suitable number of spaced-apartverticallycxtending bolt shank receiving openings 14, one of which isshown in Fig. 2, and two of which are generally provided.

The ventilating apparatus C comprises a seat portion 15, cover portion16, air pressure producing means 17, vacuum creating and airpressurizing means 18, operating means 19 for actuating the means 17 and18. and securing means 20 for securing the apparatus C to the closet ortoilet A.

Referring mainly to Figs. 2 and 3, the seat portion 15 includes a heatbody which may be a shell with outer walls of hardened synthetic plasticmaterial defining a central opening 26, having a substantially verticalaxis, and including a normally lower wall 27, normally upper wall 28,normally vertical rear wall 29 and normally vertical spaced apart braces30 enclosed by the outer walls and supporting the upper wall 28. Thesebraces 30 are generally continuous spaced apart walls or partitionsextending from the rear wall 29 around the interior of the seat body 25and define a plurality of passageways 31. Extending through the lowerwall 27, at preferably the forwardly portion thereof, is a first ordischarge port 32 in communication with the passageways 31 as may beseen in Fig. 2. Preferably the port is relatively closely adjacent thecentral opening 26 and faces the rim ]2 of the bowl, there being anarrow space between the wall 27 and this rim, since the wall 27 may beraised from the rim as by a plurality of spaced-apart bumper members 33,which may be of rubber secured to the outer face of the wall 27. Spacedfrom the port 32 is a transverse stop or battle 34 which prevents airunder pressure after flowing through the passageway 31, from flowinganywhere else except through the port 32.

The rear wall 29 is provided with an opening which, due to theintroduction of a battle 35 divides this opening into a relatively smallor second port 36 communicating with the passageways 31 and a largerport 37 in communication with preferably a plurality of smallspaced-apart ports 38 in a plate 39 which otherwise closes a cutawayportion of the rear part of the lower wall 27 and has additionalfunctions as will be subsequently described. The spaced apart ports 38are of considerable importance, since they are disposed, as may be seenin Fig. 6 over a considerable area of the underside of the seat portion15 at its rearward end and they tend to cause the air discharged fromthe port 32 to fan out, due to a vacuum at the ports 38, as will beexplained. and form a curtain of air below the central opening 26flowing in a direction substantially normal to the vertical asis of thecentral opening, as will be more fully described later.

With the arrangement described above, air (as under pressure) andprovided by the means 17 may be discharged into the port 36 and. beingconfined by the baffle 35 and walls constituting the braces 30, flowsthrough the passageways 31 and out of the port 32. The air is notdissipated outwardly of the bowl B and seat portion 15 because of avacuum created by the means 18 (to be described) and causing thedischarged air to flow as a curtain below the opening 26 below thehorizontal planes of the lower and upper walls 27 and 28 and be drawnthrough the ports 38. and the port 3'. for subsequent flow as will belater described. To prevent the air after entering the ports 38 and 37from being dissipated, there is provided the transverse bafile 40. Theplate 39 may be secured to the lower wall 27 as by screws 41a with theshanks thereof extending through suitable openings in the plate 39 andinto suitable sockets in the wall 27. Extending normally upwardly (aswhen the seat is in a lowered position) from the rear end portions ofthe plate 39 are a pair of spaced apart arms 41 (shown in Fig. l) forconnection with the housings of the means 17 and 18 and for pivotalconnection with the arms of the cover portion 16 to be described.

Referring now to the cover portion 16, shown best in Figs. 1, 2 and 4.the same includes a cover body 45 which may be a shell of materialsimilar to that of the seat body 25, with opposite walls 46 and 47 (thewall 46 being the upper wall when the cover is in a lowered positionupon the seat portion and a rim wall 48 joining the walls 46 and 47 atthe front and sides of the cover body 45. There may he providedspaced-apart brace 49 between the walls 46 and 47 but the interior atthe central portion of the cover body is free thereof and provides arecess 50 for dcodorizing means 51.

The dcodorizing means 51 may comprise a suitable container, as acoarse-mesh cloth bag 52, containing, for example. activated charcoaldisposed between two spacedapart foraminous plates 53 and 54 fittinginto the recess 50. The outer plate 54 may be secured to the wall 46 inany approved way, such as by screws 55 so it may be removed in order torenew the charcoal when required. The inner plate 53 is spaced from thebottom of the recess as may he wen in Fig. 2.

leading to the recess 50 and, consequently, the charcoal is a port 56which extends through a plate 57 covering the rear end of the cover body45 and which port is in communication with the suction port 68 of thevacuum creating and air pressurizing means 18 to be described. Since thehousing 61 associated with the means 17 is tubular and the cover portion16 swings in an are when raised or lowered. there is provided a lipsportion 58 extending outward from the outer end of the port 56 with anarcuate outer face to slide over the ottter face of the housing lastmentioned.

The cover portion 45 carries a pair of spaced-apart arms 5) extendingfrom the ends of the plate 57 and normal to the longitudinal axisthereof, for pivotal connection with the arms 41 of the seat portion 15.

Referring mainly to Figs. 1 and 5, the air pressure producing means 17is shown, by way of example, as a fan, which is preferably aconventional vane-type fan 60 within a tubular housing 61 having oneopen end and one end closed by a wall 62. This housing 61 is providedwith a discharge port 63 in its wall nearest the seat portion 15 and incommunication with the port 36 and, consequently, the passageway 31. Inthe opposite wall portion of the housing 61 is air intake means whichmay be provided by a plurality of spaced-apart ports 64, adapted toreceive air sucked in. from exteriorly of the housing 61 by the fan 60and discharge it, under pressure. from the port 63.

Still referring mainly to Figs. l and 5. the vacuum creating and airpressuriring means 18 is shown, by way of example, as a fan, which ispreferably a conventional vane-type fan 65 within a tubular housing 66having one open end and one end, closed by a wall 67. This housing isprovided with an intake or suction port 68 (Fig. 2) in its wall nearestthe seat portion 15, (that is, at the vacuum side of the housing 66) incommunication with the ports 38 or the seat portion 15. There is apressure discharge port 69 in the upper wall of the housing 66 at thepressure side of the housing which. when the cover is raised (as in Fig.2) is in communication with the passageway be tween the lips portion 58and port 56 of the cover portion 16, so that contaminated air. drawninto the port 56 will find its way to the deodorizing means 5! and bedeodorized and discharged from the openings in the foraminous plate 54preferably into the room containing the closet or toilet A. In order toprovide a good connection between the port 56 and lips portion 58. wemay provide a lips portion 69a extending upwardly from the port 56 forengagement with the lips portion 58.

The operating means 19 for the simultaneous operation of the means 17and 18 is preferably electrical and may be a conventional electric motor70 within a suitable tubulat housing 71 which may telescope with thehousings 61 and 66. The motor has a pair of shafts, with aligninglongitudinal axes, operatively secured in any approved way, one to thefan 60 and the other to the fan 65. A conventional electrical conductorcord 72 may be provided, with a conventional on-otf electric switch 73interposed therein t'or electrical connection with the motor 70, as iswell known in the art.

Securing means 20 for securing the apparatus C to the closet or toilet Amay comprise a suitable number of screw-threaded bolt shanks 75extending from a yoke 76 and adapted to extend into and through theopenings 14 in the bowl B and with their protruding free ends providedwith suitable nuts 77, whereby the means 20 is a detachable means. Theyoke 76 is provided with a pair of upwardly extending parallel arms 78having hearings to receive portions of pivot members 79 which maycomprise shanks extending outwardly from and secured to the axialcenters of the walls 62 and 67 to receive the pivot member-accommodatingopenings in the arms 41 and 59 as well as those in the arms 78. Suitablenuts may be provided for the screw threaded free ends of the pivotmembers 79.

The plate 39 may be secured conventionally to the housings 61, 66 and 71in any approved way. For example screw means 80 may be employed with theouter screw threaded ends of the screw shanks extending into screwthreaded sockets in the housings and the head end portions of the shanksextending through suitable openings in the plate 39.

From the foregoing it may be seen that air under pressure is positivelydischarged at one portion of the seat 15 and below the horizontal planesof the surfaces of the walls 27 and 28 whereupon it is not dissipatedoutwardly but is drawn by the means 18 across the central opening 26 inthe seat, as a positive curtain of air, to absorb odors within thecloset bowl, and the odors-laden air is then forced, at the airpressurizing zone of the means 18 to flow through the deodorizing means51 and from thence the deodorized air is forced out of the raised coverin a rearward flow.

Various changes may be made to the form of the invention herein shownand described without departing from the spirit of the invention orscope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Ventilating apparatus for a closet, said apparatus including anormally horizontal seat having a forward end portion and a rearward endportion, a central opening and spaced apart walls defining said openingand portions and providing air passageways through said seat from saidrearward end portion to said forward end portion with air passagewayexit ports for the exit of air from said passageways at said forward endportion, said walls including a bottom wall having a cutaway at itsrearward end portion, a rigid plate bridging said cutaway and secured tosaid bottom wall and provided with a plurality of spaced-apart small airintake ports grouped at one portion of said plate, said plate andportions of said walls defining a chamber in said seat, open at itsrearward end and provided with bafile means dividing said chamber into alarge air exit port and a smaller air intake port, with said large airexit port in communication with said small air passageways and theopening at the rearward end of said chamber, and said smaller air intakeport in communication with said air passageways and said opening; meansfor forcing air under pressure into said smaller air intake port; acover for said seat having a passageway therethrough from one endthereof to exteriorly of said cover; means to create a continuous vacuumto draw air from said passageway exit ports, across said centralopening, into said small intake openings and said large air exit portwhen said cover is in a lowermost position, each means including ahousing with the housings rigidly secured together end-to-endimmediately rearwardly of said seat when said seat is in a loweredposition, connecting means movably connecting said cover to saidhousing; one housing having a fresh air receiving port, and an airdischarge port for said fresh air and in communication with said smallerair intake port when said cover is in a lowered position only, and theother housing having an air suction port in communication with saidlarge air exit port when said cover is in a lowered position only, and aport open to said passageway in said cover at said one end of saidcover; and means providing a pivotal connection between said housingsand said seat.

2. Ventilating apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that saidplate is provided with a pair of normally upwardly-extending spacedapart rigid arms having axially-aligned pivot member-accommodatingopenings, and the pivotal connection means between said housings andseat includes pivot members extending through saitl pivotmember-accommodating openings and rigid with the walls of said housings.

3. Ventilating apparatus according to claim 2 characterized in that saidconnecting means includes a pair of spaced-apart normallyupwardly-extending arms projecting from the rearward end of said coverand provided with axially aligned pivot member-accommodating openings,and said pivot members extend through the last named pivotmember-accommodating openings.

spaced-apart normally upwardly-extending arms projecting from therearward end of said cover and provided with axially aligned pivotmember-accommodating openings, and said pivot members extend through thelast named pivot member-accommodating openings; and said apparatusincludes means for securing said apparatus to a closet bowl, including ayoke having a pair of upwardlyextending parallel arms having hearings toreceive portions of said pivot members.

5. Ventilating apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that saidcover has an imperforate wall, lowermost when said cover is lowered,that air pervious and air deodorizing means is interposed in saidpassageway in said cover and said deodorizing means is spaced from saidwall of said cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS331,120 Eisenbach Nov, 25, 1885 470,740 Bluhm Mar. 15, 1892 962,490Bruder et al. June 28, 1910 1,794,635 Mills Mar. 3, 1931 1,819,521 RootAug. 18, 1931 2,320,065 Briscoe et a1. May 25, 1943 2,322,515 HazardJune 22, 1943 2,516,432 Spencer -3 July 25, 1950 2,726,405 Smith et a1.Dec. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 481,991 Great Britain Mar. 22, 1938 UNITEDSTATES PATENT UFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 2,849,727September 2, 1958 Edward N. Bollinger et a1,

It is herebjr certified that error appears in the-printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the saidLetters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 16, for "heat" read seat column 4, line '74,

before "passageway" insert air Signed and sealed this 11th day ofNovember 1958.

est:

KARL Ii, LINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

